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By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI

Gov. Maura Healey signed the Statewide Accelerated Public Health for Every Community (SAPHE 2.0) bill in late November on the coattails of a $4 billion economic development bond bill. Now roughly four years in the making, local health officials say...

By GREG VINE

ATHOL — Multiple convenience store owners showed up for a public hearing Tuesday afternoon to express their opposition to a ban on the sale of nicotine pouches.New tobacco regulations under consideration by the town’s Board of Health would prohibit...

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

MONTAGUE — Local and state officials gathered alongside health care workers on Monday afternoon to celebrate the return of a community health center to town.The first community health center in western Massachusetts was founded in 1997 in Turners...

By EMILEE KLEIN

In a “People’s Town Hall” that attracted over 300 attendees from 25 cities and towns across the region, state Sen. Jo Comerford reminded her “bosses” — the people — that they are the force behind democracy and to make their voices heard as the country...

By ALEXA LEWIS

AMHERST — When Ann Becker told local public health nurses about a new program that will provide them with support and mentorship, she said she got one common response: “It’s about time.”Becker, clinical associate professor and program leader at the...

By ALEXA LEWIS

AMHERST — As rural western Massachusetts watches its populations steadily age, reliable, accessible health care only becomes more important. But since the COVID-19 pandemic, workforce shortages in the industry have been more pronounced than before,...

By CHRIS LARABEE

A big change will be coming to families who take advantage of the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP).Beginning in December, all families using HIP benefits, regardless of their household size, will see their monthly incentives reduced to $20, which is,...

By GREG VINE

ATHOL — State Rep. Susannah Whipps is seeking reelection to a fifth term and is once again being challenged by Republican Jeffrey Raymond.Whipps represents the 2nd Franklin District, which stretches from Winchendon to Greenfield. Raymond last...

By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI

This article is the third in a four-part series exploring the results of the Communities That Care Coalition’s 2024 Student Health Survey. The Communities That Care Coalition is co-hosted by the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) and...

By GREG VINE

ATHOL – With the infusion of a new state grant, the town can complete updates to its master plan.Last year, Athol received a $49,000 Planning Assistance Grant from the state to update elements of the master plan.Two chapters in the plan – one dealing...

By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI

This article is the second in a four-part series exploring the results of the Communities That Care Coalition’s 2024 Student Health Survey. The Communities That Care Coalition is co-hosted by the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) and...

By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI

This article is the first in a four-part series diving into the results of the Communities That Care Coalition’s 2024 Student Health Survey. The Communities That Care Coalition is co-hosted by the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) and...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

Health care spending in Massachusetts continued to grow faster than household incomes, according to new research, fueling concerns about access to care, even before accounting for the recent upheaval inflicted by Steward Health Care’s bankruptcy.The...

By ZICHANG LIU

BOSTON — Not long after state Sen. Jo Comerford took office in 2019, a constituent reached out for help after they received a bill from MassHealth in the wake of a family member’s death.The state was seeking to recover expenses associated with caring...

By GREG VINE

ATHOL – Heywood Healthcare held a stakeholder meeting Thursday to discuss its future now that it has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as a standalone entity, meaning it will remain as an independent health care organization.In...

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN and MADISON SCHOFIELD

Thanks to funding from the Massachusetts Office of Environmental Justice and Equity, Franklin County organizations will receive 21 of the total 213 air quality sensors being distributed statewide to help protect public health and fill in gaps in local...

By SAMUEL GELINAS

NORTHAMPTON — State Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa says doulas are the “gold standard” of birthing resources — and now access to these “birthing coaches” is set to expand thanks to provisions included in a new sweeping maternal health bill signed into law late...

By ALEXA LEWIS

Election season is quickly approaching, but for some community members, making their voices heard at the polls can come with unexpected challenges.Among those at Transhealth, increasingly strict voter ID laws and a feeling of burgeoning national...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

As the state health insurance marketplace prepares for open enrollment in November, officials say the steep cost of popular weight-loss drugs has fueled higher premiums.Increased provider rates also contributed to the rise in insurance premiums...

By DOMENIC POLI

Intervention from the largest-ever addiction prevention and treatment program produced a 15% reduction in non-fatal opioid overdoses, but no difference in the number of overdose deaths, according to a report published by the New England Journal of...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

BOSTON – Infection control plans, uniform patient transfer forms, heightened scrutiny of private equity and much more headline a compromise long-term care reform bill that lawmakers expect to send to Gov. Maura Healey this week.Nearly a month after...